Al,
The apology from Air Marshal North is justified but I still do not recognise the new figures he has given to the SCC. Some figures I have for the RAF, allegedly official but I still doubt them:
New SCs rose from 158 in 2011 to 284 in 2012.
In 2012 the RAF had 514 active SCs. Of these cases only 170 were closed, either through withdrawal or conclusion. With far more coming in through the door than being resolved the number of active SCs effectively doubled in just 1 year.
By the early part of 2013 the RAF had 294 active complaints, 113 of which were referred by the SCC:
201 @ Level 1
51 @ Level 2
42 @ Level 3
Of the 113 cases referred by the SCC 80% already had or would miss the 24 week backstop. The original target (PI) was to resolve 90% of cases within 24 weeks; the RAF is achieving just under 20%. The formal RAF position is that it us 'unrealistic' to expect an SC to be closed in 24 weeks which demonstrates the lack of vision or resolve to make this internal grievance system work.
I am sure the figures for 2014 will be equally grim.
Even then I suspect the true number of active but unresolved SCs is much higher as there appears to be a reluctance to log them on JPA. I am aware of cases that have been open for over 3 years before someone actually got around to recording them! This could be avoided if the subject was allowed to annotate the SC on their own JPA account, but clearly this level of transparency is too much for HM Forces and we rely on the single Services to actually log complaints so that their own performance can be monitored. Even when complaints are logged on JPA they are typically entered using the current date, rather than the actual date the complaint was raised at Level 1. The system is rotten to the core and has become an embarrassment to many in the chain of command who genuinely want to see the system work.
I do not think a single case has been judicially reviewed either, but with no ombudsman and no effective representation this is hardly a surprise.